In general, rollercoasters are useful amusement park devices comprised of a car supported in a frame that causes the cart to follow a path where the rider experiences high speeds and gravitational forces due to loops, turns and drops. In conventional rollercoasters the carts are pulled to the top of a ramp to provide the carts with the energy needed to complete the ride. During the ride the carts convert the gained potential energy into kinetic energy i.e. speed.
Since the potential energy is dependent on the height of the ramp a higher ramp makes a longer track or higher speeds possible. The height of this ramp cannot be increased without considerably costs. Also constructional problems and environmental issues limit the height of this ramp. Another possibility of giving the carts enough energy to complete the ride is to accelerate the carts at the start of the ride adding directly kinetic energy to the carts. One of the advantages of this method of launching is that a ramp is not needed anymore thus making a smaller construction possible. Another advantage is that more exciting loops and turns can be incorporated into the rollercoaster because the kinetic energy that is given to the carts at the start can be larger compared to potential energy of the ramp-started rollercoaster.
Accelerating the carts at the start of the ride has one strong disadvantage. The peak power of the launching system needs to be significantly higher than the average power that is needed for the rollercoaster. The needed power of the system to pull the carts to the top of the ramp can be low because the carts do not move at high speeds. In contrast to this giving the carts kinetic energy at the start demands a very high-powered launching system because the energy needs to be given to the carts in a very short time. During the remaining part of the ride this power is not used.
A need exists for a system that can accelerate the carts at the start of the rollercoaster ride, which does not have such a high peak-power demand, is simple, not expensive, has precise control possibilities and is easy to construct and maintain.
The present embodiments meet these needs.
The present embodiments are detailed below with reference to the listed Figures.